Death of a Daughter
by FaithinBones
Summary: Tragedy strikes both the Booth and Brennan families. This story takes place around the time of "The Bones That Weren't" (season 6) while Hannah was living with Booth and is AU.
1. Chapter 1

JBCFlyers19 prompt: What if Bones wasn't around when Hannah got shot during the episode of 'The Bones that Weren't'?

Warning: I have just moved this to a stand alone story from Hannah Stories; so, if you got an email for Hannah Stories this morning, that is why it is not available there but is located here. This was done because a friend of mine wanted it to be a stand alone story.

I don't own Bones.

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Sitting in the waiting room, Booth stared at a small stain on the floor in front of him. Hannah had been released from the hospital the day before and had seemed fine until two hours ago when she'd passed out on the bathroom floor. Booth had heard the heavy thud come from the bathroom and had rushed in to the room to find his girlfriend on the floor unconscious. Calling 911, he'd opened the door to his apartment and ran back to the bathroom where he'd held her in his arms until the paramedics had arrived. Releasing her as the paramedics entered the room, Booth had stood back and told them that she'd been shot a few days earlier and that she'd been released from the hospital the day before. Anxiously he'd watched the emergency medical technicians as they worked on his lover.

Seeing one of the men shake his head, Booth had demanded to know what was going on. The paramedic, wise in the ways of well meaning loved ones, shook his head and helped his co-worker place Hannah on a gurney. "Sir, we have to go. Meet us at George Washington University Hospital."

Wheeling Hannah away from him, Booth hurried through the apartment behind them. Grabbing his truck keys and phone on the way out of the door, Booth slammed the door shut, ran down the hallway and then down the stairwell to the lobby. Running through the very small lobby, he'd fled out of the doors and across the street to his truck. Entering the truck, he'd made a phone call.

"Cam, I'm on the way to George Washington University Hospital. Hannah collapsed. I don't know what's wrong. I've got to go."

Ending the call, Booth pulled out into traffic narrowly missing a van. Leaving behind the sounds of furious honking, Booth hit the accelerator and rushed to the hospital.

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Rushing into the waiting room, Cam noticed Booth slumped in a chair against the back wall. Hurrying to his side, she sat down and placed her hand over his. "Have you heard anything?"

Feeling numb, Booth shook his head, "Not a damn thing."

Sighing, Cam looked around the room and then back towards Booth. "Have you called Dr. Brennan? Does she know?"

Shaking his head slowly, Booth answered, "No, she's still in North Carolina. Haley took a turn for the worse a few days ago and Russ begged her to stay . . . I don't know, I guess he wanted her to make sure that the doctors were doing everything they could for his daughter. I talked to her yesterday morning and she said that Haley is in bad shape. Bones thinks Haley may not make it this time."

Sighing, Cam shook her head, "God when it rains it pours."

Swallowing, Booth pulled his hand from Cam and clasped his hands on his lap, "Yeah . . . Yeah, it does."

Noticing a man in scrubs walk into the room, Cam grabbed Booth's arm and pointed. Seeing the doctor, Booth sat up straight.

Dr. Ritter, glancing around the room, walked over to where Booth was sitting, "Are you here for Hannah Burley?"

Nodding, Booth stood up, "Yes, how is she? Is she okay?"

Shaking his head, Dr. Ritter responded, "I'm sorry, we did all we could; but, she was flatlined when she arrived here. We did everything we could. We rushed her into surgery and found that she had a hairline fracture which severed her femoral artery. She'd bled out."

Suddenly feeling weak, Booth sat down hard on the chair behind him. Shaking his head, Booth responded, "Why'd they let her leave the hospital if she . . . I don't understand, they should have never let her leave the hospital. . . ."

Sitting down next to him, Cam placed her arms around his shoulders and watched him cry.

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In a haze, Booth had called Hannah's parents and had informed them about the death of their daughter. After hearing Hannah's mother cry for quite awhile, he'd heard a new voice on the phone, "I'm Jane Porter, Molly's cousin, can you tell me what you told her?"

Swallowing, Booth answered, "I'm sorry to call you like this; but, Hannah is dead. I'm Seeley Booth, she and I have been living together for a few weeks. She was shot while investigating some corrupt police officers in the Metro area and the damage to her leg was worse than the doctors knew. She died two hours ago."

Hearing Molly crying in the background, he heard Jane sniffle and then clear her throat, "Okay. Thank you. Could you leave me your phone number and your address. I'll call Hannah's father and then we'll get back to you."

Giving her the information, Booth cleared his throat, "I, uh, I would like to attend the funeral, if that's okay with the family."

Sniffling again, Jane cleared her throat again, "Yes, of course, Seeley. Yes. I'll have Dave call you and we'll make arrangements to have her shipped back home. I . . . Dave or I will call you back very soon. I think . . . Someone will call you back."

Hearing the call end, Booth walked over to his liquor cabinet and poured a glass of Scotch. Staring at the liquid for a few minutes, Booth finally downed the drink and then walked over to the couch. Lying down, he placed his arm over his eyes and tried to rest. He knew sleep would probably be hard to find.

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Making sure that Cam and the FBI knew what was happening, Booth called Cam after talking to Charlie, "I'm flying up to Dearborn tomorrow afternoon. The coroner has released her body and I'm going to escort her home. Dave, Hannah's father wants to hold the funeral on Thursday. All of their family is there so no one has to travel to get to the funeral. Just Hannah. . . . Yeah, uh, make sure that if Bones calls don't tell her what's going on. Make sure you pass the word to Angela, Hodgins and Sweets too. She has too much to deal with right now. I'll tell her about Hannah after we know more about Haley. . . . I hope that little girl comes through this alright. I really do."

Swallowing, Cam nodded her head, "Booth would you like me to come with you? I can."

Shaking his head, Booth ran his hand though his hair, "No, thanks, no. I. . . I'll be fine. Thanks for offering but no."

Feeling terrible, Cam offered again, "Booth, you don't have to do this by yourself."

Closing his eyes, Booth responded, "Yes, I do." Ending the call, Booth stared at the darkened TV.

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Booth had escorted Hannah home and had been met at the airport by her father. Dave Burley had tried to make Booth feel welcome and during the funeral, Booth had been treated like a family member and not a stranger. The day after the funeral, Booth had grabbed a flight home and had arrived to find a message on his answering machine.

Playing it, Booth heard Brennan's voice, "I've been trying to call you since yesterday; but, all my calls go to voicemail. I hope you are alright. I called Cam and she said you're fine; but, I know you. You don't normally reject my calls. Anyway, Haley passed away three hours ago."

Swallowing, Booth shook his head and pulled his phone out of his pocket. Staring at it, he cleared his throat and made the call, "Hey, Bones. I am so sorry I didn't take your calls; but, I've been . . . I'm sorry about Haley. When is the funeral?"

Relieved to hear Booth's voice, Brennan answered, "Amy's parents are in London. They're trying to get a flight back as soon as possible; so, we have to wait until they get back. Russ would like to have the funeral on Monday."

Nodding his head, Booth frowned, "Okay, I'll let them know at work that I'm going to Haley's funeral. I'll be there tomorrow."

Staring at the swing in the back yard, Brennan responded, "Booth, no. You don't have to come. I know you must be tired if you've been working so hard. . . ."

Interrupting his partner, Booth assured her, "No, no, I want to be there. I want to be there for you and Russ, Bones. I'll be there tomorrow."

Feeling a sense of well being, Brennan smiled sadly, "Thank you, Booth. I can always count on you to be there for me."

Nodding his head, Booth sighed, "Always Bones, always."

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So, what do you think of my story? Any good?

A/N: Penny requested that I make this a separate story.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own Bones.

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Arriving at Russ and Amy's house, Booth found Brennan sitting on a swing in the backyard, her back towards the house. Moving over to the swing set, Booth sat on the swing next to her, "How ya doing Bones?"

Turning to stare at Booth, Brennan smiled sadly, "I'm doing alright. Thank you for coming Booth."

Nodding his head, he stared at the ground at his feet, "I'm sorry about Haley. I know she really fought hard. Max says that Russ and Amy are down at the funeral home making arrangements right now."

Sighing, Brennan swallowed, "Yes, they heard from Amy's parents this morning. They'll be arriving early tomorrow morning. Russ is going to pick them up from the airport. They will be having the funeral Monday morning after all."

Swinging a little back and forth, Booth shook his head, "How's Emma holding up? I know she and her sister were very close."

Wiping her finger under her nose, Brennan leaned forward and stared at her feet, "Emma is taking Haley's death very hard."

Stopping his swing, Booth spoke softly, "I'm sorry I couldn't be here with you, Bones. I had something . . . I couldn't . . . I'm sorry."

Shaking her head, Brennan smiled, "Don't apologize, Booth. You have nothing to apologize for. We all were hoping that she would recover and never thought that she wouldn't. We were actually surprised that she didn't recover. Her physician feels that she had grown too weak to fight off the latest infection. Her death was sudden and it was unexpected. I certainly didn't expect you to be here."

Sighing Booth frowned, "Still, I am your friend and I would have been here for you if I could have."

Standing, his partner turned and stared at him, "Come on, let's go inside. I could use a beer."

Standing slowly, Booth followed her back to the house.

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Standing in the back of the church, Booth looked around at the old church and the beautiful stained glass windows. Trying not to look at the small coffin at the front of the church near the altar, Booth studied the depiction of John the Baptist instead.

Brennan had wanted him to sit up front with her; but, Booth had told her that he wanted to sit in the back. "It's alright Bones. I want to do some praying and I don't want to disturb anyone."

Concerned, Brennan studied Booth's haggard face, "Something's wrong. Has something happened Booth? I don't know why I didn't notice it before; but, I'm sure something is wrong."

Shaking his head, Booth frowned, "What's wrong is a little girl has died, Bones. Parents should never outlive their children. It just seems so wrong. Parents should be able to watch their daughters grow up, find love, have kids of their own. It just seems wrong that you can outlive your kids."

Worried, Brennan asked, "Booth, Parker is alright isn't he?"

Patting her arm, Booth shook his head, "Yes, Bones. Parker is fine."

Puzzled, she pointed to the front of the church, "The service is starting soon. Are you sure you don't want sit up front with me?"

Smiling Booth shook his head, "No, I'd like a little solitude. I'll be alright."

Watching his friend walk towards the front of the church, Booth finally sat down and placed his right hand over his eyes. Praying for Haley and Hannah, Booth hoped they were both at peace.

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The day she returned to the Jeffersonian Brennan decided to work in Bones Storage. Examining the skeletal remains of someone found in an abandoned paper mill in Vermont. It was considered a cold case and Brennan wanted to see if she could determine how the man had died and his actual identity. His bones had been shipped to the Jeffersonian a few weeks prior to Haley's death and this was her first opportunity to examine them.

Entering the room, Cam greeted her anthropologist, "Welcome back, Dr. Brennan. I was sorry to hear about the loss of your niece."

Glancing up from the bone she held in her hand, Brennan frowned, "Thank you."

Clearing her throat, Cam placed her hands behind her back, "If there is anything I can do for you, please let me know. If you'd like some additional time off, I can arrange it. If I had known you'd planned to be at work today, I would have let you know that you're entitled to additional time off."

Shaking her head, Brennan grimaced, "I would prefer to work, thank you."

Nodding her head, Cam informed Brennan, "Well at least you won't have to go out on any cases this week. You can work on cold cases and not have to worry about interrupting your work for a murder investigation."

Puzzled, Brennan asked, "Why won't I have any cases this week?"

Frowning, Cam replied, "Booth is still on bereavement leave. He won't be back until next week."

Shaking her head, Brennan remarked, "I don't understand, why is Booth on bereavement leave? Haley wasn't a blood relative of his."

Biting her lower lip, Cam shook her head, "Hasn't Booth told you about Hannah yet?"

Shaking her head slowly, Brennan frowned, "No, what's wrong with Hannah? Has something happened to Hannah?"

Exhaling sharply, "Oh, my. I thought when he was in North Carolina for Haley's funeral that he might have told you about Hannah. He asked us not to say anything to you until he'd had the chance to. I'm sorry. I've obviously assumed something that I shouldn't have."

Frowning, Brennan ordered her boss, "Tell me what has happened to Hannah, Cam."

Grimly, Cam informed her, "Hannah was shot while investigating police corruption in the Metro area. She died of complications a few days after she was hurt. Her funeral was held about four days before Haley's funeral."

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Reviews would be great. Thank you.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for reading and reviewing my story.

I don't own Bones.

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Knocking on Booth's apartment door, Brennan heard the soft strains of music coming through the door. Hearing footsteps on the hardwood floors, the door opened to reveal a tired looking Booth.

"Booth, I wanted to come by and talk to you."

Hesitating, Booth finally stood back and let his partner enter. Closing the door behind her, he followed her down the short hallway. Concerned, he called out, "Watch out for the boxes near the couch."

Nodding, Brennan looked down to see four boxes, taped closed and addressed, ready to be mailed. Stepping around them, she moved over to the couch and sat down.

Booth, sitting down on his recliner, asked, "What can I do for you Bones?"

Folding her hands on her lap, Brennan explained, "I'm sorry about Hannah, Booth. Cam told me about her death this morning. You should have told me. I would have told you to not to drive down to North Carolina for Haley's funeral. It was too much, Booth."

Shaking his head slowly, Booth sighed, "You're my friend, Bones. I needed to be there for you and your brother. It wasn't too much to ask. That's what friends do for each other."

Leaning back on the couch, Brennan asked, "Would you like to talk to me about Hannah? I am your friend Booth and that is what friends do for each other."

Smiling sadly, Booth nodded his head, "Yeah, maybe I would. . . . She was investigating some rumors about corruption in the Metro police force. I think she must have got too close to the story and panicked someone because she was ambushed right before she was to meet an informant. I don't know if the shooter meant to kill her and he was just a bad shot or he just meant to hurt her; but, either way, she managed to make it to her car and she got away. She drove herself to the hospital. The bullet was a through and through and that's how they treated it. What they didn't know or didn't see was she had a hairline fracture in her femur and I guess it blew or something and it punctured her artery causing her to bleed out. I'm not a doctor; but, I'm pretty sure that's how it was explained to me. Cam could probably explain it better."

Sighing, Booth leaned back against his chair and shook his head, "I don't know why they let her leave the hospital like that. I don't know if they were incompetent or what happened; but, we were home and I was in the living room watching the news. I heard something fall and I ran into the bathroom and found her on the floor. Her breathing was really labored and I called 911. By the time they got here she was breathing really shallow. Well, maybe I'm kidding myself, she may not have been breathing at all and I was just seeing what I wanted to see. The paramedics put her on a gurney and they took off to the hospital. She was already dead when they got there. They tried to revive her; but . . . . They couldn't save her."

Shaking his head, Booth clasped his hands together, "I wish you had been at the hospital when she was shot. I'm sure you would have caught the problem before they released her. I know you and you'd never have let her leave that hospital if you'd seen that she had a problem."

Blushing, Booth shook his head, "Oh, but I'm not blaming you for anything Bones. That's not what I meant. I know you had to be with Haley. I just meant if things had been different you'd have probably saved her life like you did mine when I had the brain tumor. If there is anyone I trust when it comes to medical stuff it's you."

Slowly nodding her head, Brennan responded, "Yes, I probably would have noticed if I'd had the chance to study her x-rays. On the other hand, the hairline fracture may have been so minute that I may not have seen it either. I'm afraid we'll never know if I could have saved her or not."

Shaking his head, Booth exclaimed, "No, you'd have caught it. . . . Well, it doesn't matter. Thanks for coming by and seeing me Bones. I appreciate it."

Glancing over at the boxes, Brennan asked, "What's in the boxes?"

Glancing down, Booth answered, "Those are Hannah's things. I have to mail them to her parents tomorrow. She really didn't have a lot of stuff. She was a nomad. She told me that all of the time. She said that nomads can't afford to carry around a lot of stuff. She told me that she once lost everything she owned to some bandits in Somalia. She thought the joke was on them because she didn't have much to steal. Just her laptop, her phone and some clothes and some paperbacks that she'd wanted to read. She did say that it pissed her off that they took her copy of the latest J.J. Jance novel. She was half way through that book and had to wait for four months before she could get another copy so she could finish reading it."

Smiling, Brennan studied Booth's face, "Yes that would have been very annoying."

Closing his eyes, Booth swallowed, "You know, I still don't know why she followed me back to D.C. She originally told me that she didn't believe in marriage and commitment so you could have knocked me over with a feather when she came walking into the Diner. She never did tell me why she changed her mind and followed me back here. I guess I'll never know now."

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan replied, "Perhaps she loved you."

Opening his eyes, Booth grimaced, "Maybe. She probably shouldn't have though. Now she's dead. It's kind of ironic that it might have been safer for her back in Afghanistan."

Shaking her head, Brennan frowned, "The shooting wasn't your fault Booth. Don't take that burden upon yourself. She was a reporter after a story. She obviously found out something she shouldn't have and some very bad people decided to stop her. That in no way makes her death your fault."

Shrugging his shoulders, "If she'd stayed in Afghanistan she'd probably still be alive."

A little angry, Brennan leaned forward, "This is all speculation. I can postulate that if she'd stayed in Afghanistan she might have been killed reporting on a story over there. We can't know the answer to 'might have beens'. They can only make us feel worse than we already do. It serves no useful purpose Booth."

Frowning, Booth closed his eyes, "I am so tired. I just wish I could sleep. Every time I close my eyes, all I see is her lying on the bathroom floor. I can't get that picture out of my mind."

Leaning forward, Brennan placed her hand on his knee, "Booth, would you like me to stay with you tonight? Maybe if you felt me near you, you wouldn't feel so alone."

Shaking his head, Booth frowned, "Nah, sooner or later I'll fall asleep. I mean, sooner or later I'll be tired enough and then I'll sleep."

Squeezing his knee, Brennan earnestly replied, "Booth, let me do this for you. I'll just lie next to you. You'll know you aren't alone and that may allow you to relax enough to sleep. We're friends, Booth. Let me help you."

Sighing, Booth studied the look of sincerity on his friend's face. "Sure, okay."

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Reviews would be great. Thanks.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you for your continued interest in this story.

I don't own Bones.

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Laying in the dark, Brennan felt Booth shift on the bed again. "Are you alright?"

Sighing, Booth ran his right hand through his hair, "Yeah. I'm fine. Maybe this is a bad idea. Now I'm keeping you awake too."

Sitting up, Booth leaned back against the headboard, "I used to believe that everyone is meant to have someone. All you had to do was just wait and sooner or later you'd find that person. I don't think there is anyone for me after all. My father used to tell me that some people are meant to walk through life alone and I refused to believe him. I just didn't see how that could happen. . . . Now I realize that he was telling me the truth and I was just too stubborn to accept it."

Hearing the deep sadness in her partner's voice, Brennan sat up and stared at Booth, "A wise man once told me that there is someone for everyone, someone you're meant to spend the rest of your life with. He said you just have to be open enough to see it."

Shaking his head slowly, Booth responded, "That man was a fool."

Angry, Brennan grabbed Booth's arm, "Don't say that. You have no right to say that. If that's true then how can I believe anything that man told me? I need to believe in him. I need you to believe in him."

Not reacting, Booth stared out into the dark room, the only light in the room spilling in through the window.

Sad, Brennan asked, "Did you love her so much that you're willing to give up?"

Shaking his head slowly, her friend responded, "The sad answer to that question is no, I didn't love her that much. That's not why I know I'm meant to be alone."

Confused, Brennan released his arm, "I don't understand."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth laughed quietly, "Yeah, I know. . . . You think I'm some kind of expert on the human condition, that I know how love works and I have to tell you, you've been taking advice from someone who doesn't know what the hell they're talking about. I've always had this idea about what love is; but, it's just been wishful thinking on my part. I've never had anyone in my life love me. Not really. Well, okay, my grandfather loves me and so does my son; but, that's not what I'm talking about. I've tried to . . . There have been quite a few times in my life when I thought I'd found someone that would love me; but, it always turned out the same. I'd fall in love and then I'd find out that the person I was in love with didn't love me. Most of the time we'd just break up and we'd just be friends or try to be. Over and over, time after time. It's always been the same."

Curious, Brennan asked, "What about Hannah?"

Crossing his arms across his chest, Booth smiled sadly, "Even Hannah. That relationship was never going to go anywhere. She wanted someone to have a good time with. She wasn't interested in marriage or even a long term commitment. She didn't even want to commit to me long term. She said she was a nomad and her career came first. She was already looking for overseas assignments when she died. So, you see, it was just more of the same. . . . I don't know how to find the one for me. I haven't got a clue."

Placing her hand on his arm, Brennan remarked, "So you're upset because Hannah died and because you knew you were going to break up with her? I don't think I . . . ."

Interrupting her, Booth shook his head, "I'm upset because I'm so desperate for love I was willing to let someone who didn't love me move in with me. I ignored everything she told me. I didn't care. I wanted someone to love me and I thought if I worked really hard at being what she wanted then she'd learn to love me. It took her death for me to realize that I was just being an idiot. . . . I was packing up her stuff to send home and I looked at her stuff and I realized that the whole time she was living with me, the whole time she was living in this apartment, she never bought anything for the apartment. Not one thing to show that she lived here. Nothing. What I packed up was the stuff she'd brought with her. She never made an imprint on this place because she didn't want to. She was just going to be here until she got tired of me and then she was going to leave . . . . . I didn't really mean that much to her at all. The only one in that relationship was me."

Sighing, Booth shook his head, "I'm a fraud Bones. I've given you all that advice about love and commitment and it was all just wishful thinking on my part. It was a fairytale. There is no happily ever after. The hero doesn't always get the girl."

Sliding off the bed, Booth stood next to the bed, "I'm sorry, Bones. I'm sorry I've been so stupid. I . . ." Abruptly turning, he walked out of the bedroom and over to his couch. Sitting down on the lumpy couch, Booth placed his head in his hands and stared at the floor.

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The silence of the room pressing on him, Booth continued to stare at the floor. Embarrassed that he'd unloaded on his friend, he sat on the couch and waited for her to leave.

In the silence of the room, he thought he heard a sob. Worried, he stood up and walked back to the bedroom and listened. Hearing Brennan softly crying, Booth moved over to the bed and sat down on the edge next to her. Reaching out, he placed his hand on her shoulder, "Bones, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you all that stuff. I was just mad and I shouldn't have said what I said. It was all nonsense. I don't really believe any of that stuff I said. Love is real and some day, you're going to find the one that's meant for you. Really, you shouldn't listen to me when I'm . . . You really . . . I'm really sorry. There is someone out there for you, I know there is, you just have to be . . ."

Throwing herself into his arms, Brennan cried out, "I know there is someone for me Booth. I know it because . . . I know it because he's you. He's you."

Swallowing, Booth rubbed his partner's back, "Bones, I . . . I don't know what to say. . . You love me?"

Weeping, Brennan clung to her friend, "Yes, I do. I have for awhile. I just couldn't tell you because I was afraid to. When we came back, when I saw you with Hannah, I realized that I'd made a mistake when I'd turned you down outside the Hoover. I was afraid when you asked me to take a chance and then when you came back and Hannah moved in with you, when you said you loved her, I was afraid I'd missed my chance. I knew I'd missed my chance. . . . I know Hannah just died and I don't want you to think I'm glad she's dead because I'm not. I just . . . I just don't want to miss my chance again. When you're done grieving over Hannah, when you're ready to move on, I want to move on with you. Do you understand?"

Leaning his head against hers, Booth whispered, "Oh, Temperance . . ." Tears filling his eyes, he placed his left hand on the side of her face and whispered, "I've loved you for so long. I . . ." Feeling unable to speak, he move his head and looked at her, "Bones, I want to give you that chance; but, you see how I am. I don't know what the hell I'm doing. I try so hard; but, I don't know what I'm doing. How can you want me, knowing that?"

Looking up, her mouth mere inches from his, Brennan replied, "I want you, Booth. I do want you."

Closing his eyes, Booth moved his mouth closer to hers, "I want you too, Temperance. I want you too."

Leaning closer, his lips met hers.

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So what did you think of my story? Any good?


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